Fishhook



Sept. 24, 1940.

H. H. HATHAW AY FISHHOOK Filed Jan. 18, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 sept 24, 1'940- H. H. HATHAWAY 2,215,612

FIsHHoo'K Filed Jan. 18, 1938 2 Smets-Sheet 2 /f//f/V rae Patented Sept. 24, 1940 sr'ras Yartnrorrice 4 Claims.

This invention relates to ishhooks in which means are provided for holding live bait in a manner so as to maintain the bait in a live state, it being unnecessary to injure the bait or pierce its body in accordance with common practice. The advantages and desirabilities of such a hook performing such a feature are beyond conjecture in that fishermen have long recognized that greater yield is obtained by using live bait. Furthermore, timid persons need not injure the bait, thus making their iishing sojourn more pleasant.

This invention, when applied to standard types of hooksv does not in any way interfere with the proper and normal use ci its spears and barbs, but leaves them clear of obstruction. The invention may be applied to the bend of the iishhook or above the normal shank cf the hook, but it is preferable to apply it to the shank proper.

When applied to the shank, the invention consists of an elongated rib or wire-like splint having one of its ends soldered, welded, twisted or otherwise Xed to the center, bottom or top portion of the shhook. Should only one end of the splint be fixed to either the top or bottom portion of the hook, the other end is generally provided with or configurated to form a hooklike element to clasp the opposite end of the shhook. By'having one end of the splint so removable, a part of the bait may be placed between the hook andsplint for holding the bait securely in place upon clasping the splint to the hook shank or other convenient part of the hook. W'hen the bait is so held to the hook, it is not injured and may, therefore, when iishing is poor, greatly economize in the use of bait.

The splint is preferably made of spring steel, although other metals or materials may be used, and so Xed to some portion of the hook body that it is bowed when pulled from the hook, leaving sufcient space into which the bait is inserted. Should theuser of the improved hook, herein disclosed, wish to keep the bait alive for relatively long periods of time, or even short periods of time to permit the bait to have freedom of motion and thus great attractiveness to other fish, the bait may have just one of its iins inserted and held between the splint and shank of the hook. Therefore, the means employed in this invention, permits the bait to freely squirm and wiggle for an indefinite period so as to always appear attractive and alluring to sh of the sea and, particularly, to game iish. The shank of the hook or the splint may be barbed, serrated,

or otherwise roughened so that the fin of the baitI can beheld securely with nol possibility of escape.

Should the splint or the hook body, or both,- be roughened in the manner disclosed above, the free end of the splint may not necessarily be congurated or provided with means to clasp the iishhook, but the spring action of the splint alone may be relied upon to hold the bait against the body of thehook. y

Although applicant prefers to adapt his invention to standard sized hooks and styles, he does not Wish to be so restricted in that it may be to his advantage to design special hooks to which his invention can be adapted.

An object of the invention is to present a iishhook having means for holding bait in a l manner not to injure the bait a iresh and active condition.

Another object is to provide a shhook that is designed to hold live bait-by its n or other thin part of its body so that the bait will indefinitely be attractive and alluring to sh desired to be caught. n

Still another object is the provision of a shhook in combination with a holding means for bait, the holding means permitting the bait to be held in certain predetermined positions with respect to the body of the hook.

Still further objects Will become apparent from reading the specification and its preamble and also `from scrutinizing the drawings made a part hereof.

so as to keep it in In order to teach one how to make, use and 3o vend the invention herein disclosed, several forms thereof are shown, but, it is to be understood, that the particular forms shown and described are not to limit the scope thereof, except as limited by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows one formof the invention in perspective View with the binder open to receive the bait.

Fig. 2V shows the same hook of Fig. 1 with a iin of the bait in the gap of the binder.

Fig. 3 shows the same hook again with the binder closed and the fm of the bait firmly held in place.

Fig. 4 -shows in perspective view another form of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows in perspective another form of the invention.

Fig. 6 shows in perspective another form the invention.

Fig.` 7 shows in perspective another form of the invention.

Fig. 8 shows in perspective another form of the, invention.

Fig. 9 shows in perspective another form of the invention.

Fig. 10 shows in perspective another form of the invention.

Fig. 1l shows in perspective another form of the invention.

Figure 12 shows still another form of the invention in elevation.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings comprises a regular and standard type of fishhook designated by the reference numeral I having the usual shank 2 which may be straight or substantially straight. Integral therewith, at one end, is the usual bent or curved portion 3, U-like shaped, which terminates in the form of a spear head 4 having a barb 5. More than one barb may be placed upon the hook if desirable, but for the sake of simplicity, only one barb is shown. The other end of the shank 2 has the usual eyelet 6 or similar element, to which the shermans line is attached. Y

The reference character 'l represents a rib, tang, or splint which cooperates with the shank 2 of the hook to form the binder; the space or gap I between the splint and shank, when open, receives the bait, generally the: fin of a small fish, or perhaps the leg or wing of a bug. When a worm or the like is used as bait, its body is placed in the gap and pressed between the tang and shank. The splint 'I, at one end, denoted by 8, is bent to coincide with the configuration of the hook portion 3 and soldered, welded or otherwise rmly Xed thereto as at 9. The other end of the splint is bent or looped to form a clasp I of proper form so that when the splint is forced into juxtaposition and parallel with the shank 2, the clasp can be fastened to the shank in the manner shown in Fig. 3.

The kind of material used to make either splint or hook is of little moment providing the material is suiiciently strong and serves the purpose well. It is preferable, however, that the splints 'I be made of spring steel or metal having resilient qualities so that its free end will readily spring from the shank when releasedtherefrom.

The splint and/or shank may be roughened or serrated as shown at II and I2 respectively, so as to more securely hold the bait, or fin of the bait, therebetween.

Fig. 4 shows another form of the invention as applied to a standard i'ishhook I3 similar to that shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3. This hook also having a shank I4 an eyelet as at I5, curved rportion I6 and barbed spear I'I.

A splint IB, having the form of the hook elements I4 and I6, is welded thereto as at I9 and at its other endv is provided with an eyelet 2li. The splint is bent as at 2I so that the eyelet 20 is not parallel with eyelet I5 when the hook shank I4 and splint I8 are in alinement.

A C-shaped element 22 has one of its cavities welded or soldered to the splint near its eyelet. The opposite cavity of the element 22 provides a clasp to receive the upper shank of the hook.

As in the form of the invention shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the iin of the bait can be securely held between the hook shank I4 and the splint I8 when closed or bound together. The purpose for inclining the eyelet 29 away from the eyelet I5 is to enable the operator thereofto separate the two with comparative ease.

The modied fo-rm shown in Fig. 5 employs the usual shhook and has welded thereto within the cavity of the bend I6 the ciirved section oi one endof a splint 23. The other end of the splint is bent in the form shown to make the clasp 24. The splint is sprung so that whenits clasp 24 is released from the eyelet I5, it will automatically open.

The modified form of Fig. 6 shows the usual shhook I3 juxtapositioned to a splint 25, the lower curved portion 26 thereof being welded to the side of the hooks curved portion I6. The free end of the splint is looped at 2'I and then bent at 28 as shown to form a clasp to receive the eyelet I5 of the hook.

The modified form of Fig, 7 also employs the usual shhook I3 having the eyelet I5 and curved portion I6. The splint or tang 29 in this form has an eyelet 29 at one end designed to clasp the upper shank of the hook I3 and a curved portion 29 welded to a side of the hooks curved portion I6. When the tang is released as shown in dotted lines, it will automatically spring away from the shank and be in position to receive the bait.

Fig, 8 shows a iishhook 30 made and adapted especially for applicants invention. The fishhoo-k has the usual curve portion 30' and spear 3| at one end and at the other end a curved clasp portion 32 conigurated as shown to clamp on to a splint 33. The splint 33 is soldered or welded to the lower end of the shank of the hook 30 as at 34 and is provided at the other` end of it with an eyelet 35 to receive the iishing line.

Fig. 9 shows still another modification adapted to combine with the usual iishhook I3. In this form of the invention, one end of the splint 36 is welded as at 3l near the eyelet of the hook I3 Whereas the other end of the splint is curved as shown at 38 to provide a clasp to clamp the lower part of the shank of the shhook.

Fig. l0 shows still another modification employing the usual iishhook I3 having the usual eyelet I5. The splint 39 of this form of the invention has one end thereof formed into an eyelet 48 which is welded in concentric relation with the eyelet I5 of the shhook. The other end of the splint is provided with a curved portion 4 I, in the form shown, to grip the lower part of the shank of the shhook and adapted to being clasped into engagement therewith.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 11 is very similar to that shown in Fig. l0 in that it comprises the usual fishhook I3 having the usual eyelet I5 and also having'the splint 39 as shown in Fig. with its eyelet 40 and curved portion 4I. In this form of the invention, however, the two eyelets I5 and 4I! are not welded together but are pivoted together by a hollow tube-like rivet 42 having its ends fiar-ed as at 43 and 44 so as to hold the two eyelets in juxtaposition. The pivot permits the splint to turn so that the clasp 4I may be clamped to the shank of the shhook and released therefrom.

The modified form shown in Fig. 12 also vutilizes a standard type hook like the one shown in Fig. 1 and referred to by the reference numeral I. In this form, a splint 45 is welded at 46 to the lower part of the shank of the hook. The splint is made of spring steel and is so welded to the shank that the splint will automatically return to the shank of the hook, as shown in Fig. 12, when pulled away therefrom.

The splint is provided with an integral loop 41 and is slightly bent away for lthe shank at 48' so that the loop can be easily grasped and forced away from the shank when it is desired to place bait between the splint and shank. The normal position of the hook shank and splint is shown in Fig. 12, and in order to place bait between them, the'free ends of the shank and splint must be grasped and. pulled apart. 'The spring as of the splint, when released, is sucient to hold the bait firmly. The serrated part of the shank and splint materially aids in holding the bait and prevents its slippage.

Having thus described my invention, I claim the following:

1. A fshhook having a hook portion, a shank xed to said portion, elongated means for holding bait having one end thereof fixed to the hook portion and the other end formed with means to clasp the shank of the hook.

2. In a shing device, a hook element and a tang element, an end of one of the elements being fixed to a portion of the other element removed from its longitudinal center, means at the free ends of the elements for holding said ends together, one of said elements having serrations substantially along its entire length for thereof, an elongated tang having one endv thereof xed to the shank near an end of same, said shank and tang extending in the same general direction and having opposing faces, one of the faces having a roughened surface so that when live bait is placed between the faces, sufcient friction will prevent loss of the bait.

4. In a fishing device, a hook having a long shank element, a long tang element fixed to the hook, said elements being arranged to be sprung apart for receiving bait, frictional means along substantially the entire length of one of the elements to positively prevent the bait from slipping from between the elements.

HARLOW H. HATHAWAY. 

